MIT students make 3D ice cream printer

The filament used for 3D printing is useful, but not terribly interesting. Others have taken to printing using other substances, some for notable purposes, others more or less for novelty. The 3D pancake printer is one such machine, but in recent times MIT students have trumped it.

MIT students Kyle Hounsell, Kristine Bunker, and David Donghyun Kim all worked together to make what might be the best 3D printer ever (after the one that might cure blindness, that is): a 3D ice cream printer. The machine does exactly what its title suggests.

The way the printer works is simple, at least in description. Soft ice cream is extruded onto a surface in whatever shape is desired, then froze using liquid nitrogen. The next layer of ice cream is then squirted upon the first layer, slowly forming a three-dimensional treat.

The students say their idea came about out of a desire to make something that would draw kids' attention to the technology. By creating a 3D printer that can make ice cream treats in various shapes, it might inspire kids to pursue their own scientific undertakings.